Chapter 2

"Dr. Vance, are my test results ready?"

Lily Adams sat across from me, nervously twisting the hem of her dress.

I looked at the lab report in my hand. The red bold letters were blinding.

Secondary syphilis, gonorrhea, and genital warts.

To contract these three STDs at the same time, she must have had an incredibly wild sex life.

In my past life, for the sake of her and Ethan’s health, I had taken this report out to the waiting room to explain the situation to Ethan Cole.

What I got in return was a cup of scalding coffee to my face, six months of relentless cyberbullying, and a suffocating death in a locked garage.

This time, I took a deep breath and slid the lab report directly in front of Lily.

"Ms. Adams, see for yourself."

Lily picked up the paper with a confused look. In an instant, her face drained of all color.

"This is impossible!"

"How could I have these dirty diseases? Your hospital’s equipment must be broken!"

I leaned back in my chair and said seriously, "These numbers don’t lie."

"And looking at your current symptoms, if you don’t start treatment immediately, you might lose your fertility."

Lily’s tears spilled over instantly.

She leaped up, rushed to my desk, and grabbed my hand.

"Chloe, please help me! Ethan and you are the only people I know in this city."

"I swear, I must have caught this from a public swimming pool a few days ago. You have to believe me!"

Looking at her tearful, pathetic act, I wanted to laugh.

Getting three STDs from a public pool? Who was she trying to fool?

"It doesn't matter if I believe you or not. What matters is the treatment."

I glanced at the cracked-open door of the clinic.

"Ethan is waiting for you outside. Should I call him in and explain the situation to him in detail?"

"No!"

Lily screamed, frantically covering the lab report.

"Chloe, I beg of you, please don’t tell Ethan!"

"He’s always thought of me as a pure, clean girl. If he finds out I have this, he will definitely leave me."

She fell to her knees in front of me, crying like a victim.

"As long as you don't say anything, I’ll do whatever you want!"

I looked down at her.

I hadn't realized in my past life how desperately she would go to keep up her innocent facade in front of Ethan.

"You’re an adult. You have the right to patient confidentiality," I said, calmly pulling my hand away.

"Since you don't want him to know, then we won't tell him."

Lily sighed in relief, nodding and thanking me repeatedly.

She frantically stuffed the real lab report into her designer handbag.

"But... how should I explain this to Ethan in a minute?"

I opened my computer and pulled up a blank template.

Three minutes later, I printed out a fake report showing all negative results.

"If he asks, tell him everything is normal."

Lily took the "pure and clean" report. A flash of gratitude crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by a smug smirk.

She was probably mocking my stupidity, thinking I had given in to my romantic rival so easily.

The door was suddenly shoved open.

Ethan Cole storm in. He didn’t even look at me; he went straight to Lily.

"Lily, how are you? Are you feeling sick anywhere?"

He gently helped Lily up, his voice filled with self-reproach.

"I told you we shouldn’t have come here. This doctor has always hated you. She definitely didn't give you a good attitude."

Lily immediately leaned into his chest, weakly raising the fake report.

"Ethan, don't blame Chloe. She said I'm perfectly fine."

Only then did Ethan deign to look at me, his eyes full of undisguised suspicion.

"Chloe, did you actually check her thoroughly?"

I looked up and politely met his gaze.

"The report is completely normal. Congratulations."

Since he firmly believed she was pure, let them enjoy their "pure" intimacy.

I wasn't the one getting dirty anyway.

Ethan let out a cold snort and wrapped his arm tightly around Lily’s shoulders.

"At least you know your place."

"Let's go home, Lily. I'll make your favorite steamed fish tonight."

Lily looked back at me, a look of smug triumph in her eyes.

I sat in my chair, quietly watching their figures fade away.

The real show was just getting started.

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